Leicester diabetes management programme to get Africa roll out

A leading type 2 diabetes management programme which was developed by a team including researchers from our University is going global.

The Diabetes Education and Self-Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed (DESMOND) programme is to be rolled out in Malawi and Mozambique.

The initiative, which is based around physical activity and healthy lifestyle changes, will be adapted to help those with type 2 diabetes in the sub-saharan African countries.

Dr Emer Brady, from our University and the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), said: “Although countries have fully implemented national diabetes guidelines, access to care and availability of basic medicines and procedures are generally poor. With 98 per cent of diabetes care being the responsibility of the patient they need to be well-informed and skilled to do so, which is why we want to help.”

Teams from the NIHR BRC and the Leicester Diabetes Centre (LDC) will travel to Africa to train educators about how to deliver the DESMOND programme, which will be culturally and linguistically adapted for the local diabetes population.

Principal investigator Professor Melanie Davies, who is the Director of the Leicester BRC as well as a Professor of Diabetes Medicine at the University of Leicester, added: “We’ve already proven that structured education works by improving health outcomes for people and that it is a cost-effective approach. An educated and empowered patient can work more effectively with their doctor to improve and maintain better control of their condition.”